Evan Dando – Rumours of My Demise – Book Review
by Killian Laher

After reading this book, you’ll find it hard to believe that The Lemonheads’ Evan Dando can do anything, especially put pen to paper on a memoir.  This book was, in fact, ghostwritten by Jim Ruland, but the story is told in Dando’s voice.  It’s quite the story, and he leaves little to the imagination, recounting tales of the formation of the band, his discovery of drugs (a big part of the story) and numerous hapless incidents throughout his career.

In many ways, he flies very close to that rock ‘n’ roll cliché, when the band gets established, he starts hanging out with rock stars, spending shitloads of money on hotels and drugs, and then the inevitable decline.  The book is very coherent, considering how tenuous Evan Dando‘s grip on reality can be at times.  Some of the stories are hilarious, in a somewhat pitiful way, as Dando’s propensity for self-sabotage comes to the fore.  His feelings on his own songs are probably the most interesting parts of the book, along with his feelings on the band’s cover of Mrs Robinson, a cover that has dogged them for years.

Fans will enjoy this read and appreciate his unflinching honesty, but it’s hard not to think that his tale is one of indulgence, entitlement, and wasted talent.